‘Unity’ picked as inaugural theme

The presidential transition team Sunday said the main theme for President-elect Park Geun-hye’s inaugural ceremony would be summarized as “unity, advancement and people’s livelihood.”

“The words reflect the president-elect’s will to enter into a new era of happiness in terms of both mentally and economically along with the people,” said Kim Jin-sun, who heads the presidential inauguration committee, in a press conference, held at the transition team’s office in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. “The ceremony is being prepared so that those values can be realized at a full level.”

Park’s inaugural ceremony is slated for Feb. 25 and will take place at the National Assembly square in Yeouido, Seoul.

Kim also unveiled the official slogan and emblem to be used during the ceremony.

“The slogan will be ‘opening a new era of hope,’” Kim said. It is the same as the slogan adopted for the transition team before the launch.

With the theme of “new era of hope,” the ceremony’s emblem resembles “taegeuk,” or the “great ultimate,” contained in the center circle of Korea’s national flag.

The spirit of taegeuk, represented by a combination of red and blue colors, values differences as having a potential synergistic effect, which is in line with one of the president-elect’s core values of “unity.”

Park lately ordered the members of her inauguration committee to utilize the event as a chance to promote Korean culture abroad.

In addition to the announcement, the top inaugural planner said there will be pre-ceremony event featuring the global K-pop singer Psy.

About 60,000 people are expected to attend the inaugural ceremony with half of the attendees to be members of the general public.

They can register via online or mail by Sunday and the winners will be chosen by a lottery.

As of 3 p.m. on Sunday, over 80,000 people had registered to attend the ceremony, according to the transition team. Kim said the team is also considering increasing the number of attendees.

Meanwhile, Kim said the inauguration committee is currently preparing a list of participants including international figures.

Observers expect female world leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard to attend the ceremony.

Kim said top-level foreign leaders will also be invited to the ceremony as well as foreign envoys with missions in Korea. But the team did not elaborate on the list of the foreign leaders, saying it has yet to confirm it.

Park will be the country’s first female president. <The Korea Times/Chung Min-uck>